Introduction Advent is a time of preparation! As John the Forerunner called people to “prepare the way of the Lord,” this Advent many Christians will look for additional opportunities to prepare inwardly while also preparing outwardly. As we prepare our homes and churches for celebrating Christmas, most hope to have additional time to read Scripture, pray, worship and meditate, and we look for quiet time to prepare our hearts and lives for the many ways the Lord comes to us. These devotions are for home and personal devotion, in addition to communal Advent worship. Our prayer is that they provide the reader with a brief, accessible devotional to deepen the Advent journey. They are written for those who may regularly spend in-depth time in Scripture and prayer but are also prepared in the hope that those who do not have a practice of daily devotions may find them a useful tool in developing a holy habit that may continue on long after Christmas. This Advent daily devotional booklet, appropriately titled, Prepare the Way of the Lord, is based on the two- year daily lectionary provided in the Lutheran Book of Worship, Year I. This series of daily lessons is intended for Advent prior to odd-numbered years. The daily lectionary appoints three lessons for each day, and a seasonal psalm. For the purposes of this booklet, one reading has been chosen as the basis for each day’s reflection. The entire reading is usually provided, although there has been some verses left out due to space available. When the biblical text is longer, we have provided that entire text with a shorter devotion because the Word of God is more powerful than our humble reflections. The Rev. Dr. Dan Selbo, bishop of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC), has prepared a bit longer devotion for each of the Sundays in Advent, along with a devotion for Christmas Day. The Rev. Dr. David Wendel, NALC assistant to the bishop for ministry and ecumenism, has prepared the brief weekday and Christmas Eve devotions. The prayer following each devotion may be seen as a “prayer starter,” encouraging your thoughts to go deeper into prayer, or you may find them sufficient as printed. After each prayer is an Advent Action, encouraging an appropriate and thoughtful simple response to the reading and reflection. For your information, these devotions are available in a variety of formats at thenalc.org/advent. We would like to consider these devotions a conversation. Email the authors if you would like to comment or share a thought, [email protected] or [email protected]. The Rev. Dr. Daniel W. Selbo The Rev. Dr. David Wendel Bishop Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry & Ecumenism Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Emphasis added to Scripture quotations by author. Art, graphics, and layout by the Rev. Andrew S. Ames Fuller and Madeline Benson. 2 The First Week of Advent November 29, 2020 | The First Sunday in Advent Isaiah 1:1-9; Psalm 24; 2 Peter 3:1-10; Matthew 25:1-13 25:1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. –Matthew 25:1-13 y There is an old story about how, in the days leading up to the Christmas holidays, the ticket counter at a certain airport had become unusually overcrowded by those who had waited until the last minute to purchase their tickets. One of those in the crowd happened to be a parish priest who, after a considerable amount of time, finally made it to the front of the line. Apologizing to the priest, the clerk said, “Father, I am sorry this has taken so long. It is not usually like this. But it seems like everybody, these days, waits until the last minute, for a trip they all knew, a long time ago, they would be taking.” That’s when the priest, not wanting to overreact, and certainly not wanting to embarrass the clerk, simply replied, “I know exactly what you mean. I have the same trouble in my business.” Today’s story is about preparation. It’s about planning ahead. It’s about getting one’s self ready. It’s about not waiting until it’s too late to take care of what’s too important to put off. And it’s a story about the end times, about what it will be like when Jesus returns to this earth, and about what that will mean for you and for me, and for all who are still alive. It has always struck me, on this first Sunday in Advent, the beginning of a new year in the life of the Church, rather than looking back on where this all started, to the birth of Jesus, what we do instead is look forward to where this is all going and the day when He will return. There’s an element of warning in our text. There’s an element of urgency when it comes to the message of our Lord’s return. I often find myself feeling a bit uncomfortable when I see one of those “street-corner preachers” standing with a sign that says Jesus is coming back, so we need to be ready. It always seems so out of place, disconnected from real life, making those of us, in the church, appear to be so strange. I also find myself wondering, despite how strange it might seem and appear, why we actually do not spend more time with that message than we do. The reality is that day is coming. History is linear. There was a beginning and there will be an end. Jesus will return. And when He does, if we are not ready, it will be too late. This passage from Matthew’s Gospel is set in the context of a series of stories about the end times. “Then,” Jesus says, “the kingdom of heaven will be like…” From there, He goes on to tell the story of the ten virgins 4 — five who were wise and five who were foolish. The wise were wise because they were prepared. The foolish were foolish because they put off what they knew they needed to do to be ready. How easy it is in life to put off the things that matter and, as a result, find ourselves unprepared for what really matters when the time comes. Preparation for the essentials is essential. It is the reason we have fire drills in school. It is why we talk, ahead of time, about what to do when a disaster strikes. It is why we carry jumper cables, store up a supply of water, keep extra batteries or candles on hand. We do those things because, when the time arrives, if we are not ready, it will be too late. There are many things in life that you can afford to put off. Many of us do. But there are some things in life where you cannot take the chance. Your relationship with Jesus is one of them. Your readiness for that day when He returns or when He calls you home needs to begin today. John Wesley was once asked what he would do if he knew that Jesus was going to return at the same time the next day. He said, “I’d go to bed, fall asleep, get up in the morning, and then go to work, because I’d want the Lord to find me, when he returns, doing what I was created to do.” Martin Luther said, “I’d plant a tree, because I’d want to be found using my life in ways that would matter and that would last.” William Barclay said, “The best way to prepare for the coming of Christ is to live each day in the presence of Christ.” All three are good directives for life, ways to prepare for Jesus’ return. Doing what you were created to do. Using your life in ways that matter and that will last. Preparing for the coming of your Lord by living each day in His presence. If that is how you are living, then you will be ready. If that is what you are doing to be prepared, then there is nothing to fear. But if something needs to change in your life or in your habits, do not put it off.